1. Field
The present disclosure relates to a method and controller for programming a non-volatile memory.
The disclosure particularly, but not exclusively, relates to a method and controller capable of controlling a slope of voltage driven to a selected word line of the non-volatile memory to be less steep.
2. Description of the Related Art
Among the various types of flash memory devices, NAND-type flash memory devices are increasingly used as a high capacity data storage media. Each cell of a flash memory is programmed to store information by trapping electrons in the floating gate of the cell. The programming operation is performed by driving a strong positive voltage on the control gate to force a current to flow from the channel through the floating gate to the control gate, a phenomenon known as the “Fowler Nordheim Tunnelling” effect. A control gate is connected to a word line of the flash memory, and a voltage is provided to the control gate through the word line. Each memory cell can store a single bit which is referred to as a single level memory cell (SLC) or alternatively, each cell can store multiple bits which is referred to as a multiple level memory cell (MLC). In both of the SLC and MLC, the information stored in each cell s defined by a corresponding threshold voltage of the memory cell.